for my love

of documentaries, that is...
I have always been fascinated by documentaries, I love feeling informed and viewing things in a way I hadn't thought of before.
We have "netflix" and for only $8 a month I can watch all the documentaires I want {that is when Trey is not around or else we are most definitely watching "backyardigans"} A few I have really enjoyed are "Tapped" {all about the bottled water industry} "Maxed out" {about america's reliance on credit} and one I could really relate to, "The Business of Being Born" {pretty self explanatory} This movie BLEW me away! It focuses on the comparison of natural births and births with interventions {pitocin, epidurals, c-sections...ect}. {I would say it is "girl only movie" -you can imagine there is a lot of birthing going on} It gives any mother, or soon-to-be mother, a lot to think about- at least it left my brain spinning. What I mainly took from it was the questions, why are women in most cultures around the world able to have gentle, comfortable, {quiet} births, when the women of the western world seem destined for pain filled deliveries? Why are american women made to think there is NO way they can deliver their baby without some sort of anesthetic or intervention?
After I watched this it made me glad for the birth experience I had with Trey- it was NOT in any way what I had planned, but it really was perfect for me, my personality, and perfect for my first baby. I'll spare you all the details of it, and just say this- I learned that I {and brock} can get through 2+ days of contractions and 1 hour of pushing out a baby and feel every part of him as he arrives. It might sound strange to some, but I actually enjoyed the pushing part- not in a "oh, this so so fun way!"- more like I felt like I was able to listen to my body and actually do something instead of just sitting {bending, bouncing, laying, squatting...} through contractions. I loved being able to feel as he was coming out and the rush and instant relief I felt the second he was born, I honestly felt like a million bucks- like I could do absolutely anything. I think that is such a big part of giving birth whatever way it happens- women learn how truly amazing our bodies are. Being pregnant and giving birth was a huge learning experience for me of how powerful I am and that I can do so much more then I expect I can.

All that being said, I believe that birthing is deeply personal for every women. There is such a huge variety of circumstances and situations- obviously there is not a one-size-fits-all birthing method. But that in itself is empowering, every woman gets to decide what's best for her and her baby- that day, and forever after that.